Poll: Even Ledger

[Biffen 12,802]

We are are 7.50 to make the four.

We will make the eight easily with a full list.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, beelzebub said:

Being asleep in the first qtr  !!  mitigates ??

Yeah I know...you're on about some folk who couldn't make it on the park. 

Catchup footy is why we've lost a lot of games.

The comp is such that you could make the same comment about the top 4.

Yes we have struggled to put four quarters together most weeks. Consistency is not just an MFC problem at the moment...it is eluding even the top teams. 

We still have a gap or 2 in the list, but we don't have 10.  We are getting close to having a mature list ready to threaten.

With a little more luck we would be 7 and 3 and pattting ourselves on the back with new bandwagoning demonlanders.

Yeah I know she's still me aunty..

[beelzebub 23,168]

1 hour ago, Ron Burgundy said:

As much as we've been cruelled by injuries to super important players, we absolutely would've won the Freo game had Lewis not been suspended.

His composure and leadership in the last 2 minutes of that game would've ensured victory.

I'm disappointed we're not 7-3, possibly even 8-2, but, in the circumstances of the season thus far, I'm relieved we're 5-5 (including having put on the best performance in a decade in the game against the Crows).

 

Relieved...sums up nicely.

I'm relieved also. 

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,631]

One thing I'm finding hard with the eveness of the comp to this point is how to rate any one individual win/loss. Sounds a bit cliché, but I really think the only way to rate how a side is travelling is to look at them over a 4-5 week period.  Beating the top sides of last year means little at this point when you look at how Hawthorn, Sydney and even the Dogs are traveling at present.  I was devistated at the time to loose to both Freo and North precisely because it cost us the opportunity to string a group of wins together and put us ahead on the ledger, not necessarily because they are poor sides.

More frustrated than satisfied with where we are presently at, but that we have been in every game we have played this year, despite some bad circumstances gives me hope for the second half of the year.  I don't think we could have coped like we have without Gawn and Hogan like we are, last season.  No doubt we are still having problems with consistency, but I do think the difference between our best and worst is narrowing.  That we ground out and still could have almost beaten Geelong and particularly Richmond rather than dropping our heads and getting blown away suggests to me that we are getting mentally tougher and more resilient.

[DubDee 24,276]

Can't believe half of us think we will make finals. We are 5-5 off the easy part of our draw and we need to go at least 7-5 for the much harder part with tiring young bodies. Gawn and hogan will make a difference but not that much to turn our form and inconsistency around imo

[beelzebub 23,168]

2 hours ago, Stretch Johnson said:

The comp is such that you could make the same comment about the top 4.

Yes we have struggled to put four quarters together most weeks. Consistency is not just an MFC problem at the moment...it is eluding even the top teams. 

We still have a gap or 2 in the list, but we don't have 10.  We are getting close to having a mature list ready to threaten.

With a little more luck we would be 7 and 3 and pattting ourselves on the back with new bandwagoning demonlanders.

Yeah I know she's still me aunty..

What worries me is those top 4, waxing and waning seem to more than occasionally start games and carry on.

We've yet to really start one game well all year. Ironically perhaps the best 1st qtr was against the Tiges 

We seem in a rut. Reminds me of a F1 team some years back who's auto start sequence for beginning races wad f'd. Leaving them in 4th or 5th at the first turn coming off pole. They found winning hard too.

I don't think all the blame should be shouldered by the players

[McQueen 17,864]

Poll is flawed in my opinion.

Being 5/5 sort of lends itself to Q's 2 and 3 being a 50/50 outcome.

[Deestroy All 14,262]

I expected to be better than 5-5. Especially after beating StKilda. 

Injuries and suspensions [censored] with that a bit, but I'm still not happy with 5-5. 

The Geelong and Richmond losses I can cop, big injuries during a game that had legit impact on the result. 

However we've shown we can compete out of the middle without Gawn, and kick goals without Hogan. 

Gawn had nothing to do with the likes of Freo, Hawks and North waltzing off half back and handballing/chip kicking all the way down to an open goal. This happening far too easily is what has cost us winnable matches and that leaves me unhappy. 

[M_9 1,977]

Something that's hard to comprehend is that we are 4-1 away from the 'G, and 1-4 at the 'G. (I know it's been brought up countless times).

I can cut Jesse some slack re his suspension, but Lewis' stupidity may cost us a finals' spot.

[ManDee 7,124]

11 hours ago, DubDee said:

Can't believe half of us think we will make finals. We are 5-5 off the easy part of our draw and we need to go at least 7-5 for the much harder part with tiring young bodies. Gawn and hogan will make a difference but not that much to turn our form and inconsistency around imo

I can't believe half of us don't think we will make the finals. We have lost two games we should have won, we have been cruelled by injuries, suspension, illness and bereavement. Many of our better players have missed games -Gawn -Hogan -Lewis - Salem - Hibberd - Brayshaw - Vince- vandenBerg -Tyson -Frost - Garland + Spencer  - We have been playing players injured and out of position. Only 9 players have payed all games, you could probably make a better team out of those who have missed. We have lost players early in games and have run out of steam to be overrun. If our luck changes and we have a good run with injuries and suspension we will shiit it in! Go Deeeeees!

[DubDee 24,276]

20 minutes ago, ManDee said:

I can't believe half of us don't think we will make the finals. We have lost two games we should have won, we have been cruelled by injuries, suspension, illness and bereavement. Many of our better players have missed games -Gawn -Hogan -Lewis - Salem - Hibberd - Brayshaw - Vince- vandenBerg -Tyson -Frost - Garland + Spencer  - We have been playing players injured and out of position. Only 9 players have payed all games, you could probably make a better team out of those who have missed. We have lost players early in games and have run out of steam to be overrun. If our luck changes and we have a good run with injuries and suspension we will shiit it in! Go Deeeeees!

Love your enthusiasm ManDee!

wish I shared it.  Injuries are part of the game, look at GWS, 11 first 22 players out.  we have averaged around 3-4 first 22 players out this season.  just a pity that Gawn and Hogan are among them

Our form and consistency will have to turn around dramatically if we are to make finals but with Melksham/Hibberd/Lewis settling in and the young guys getting experience it could happen. 

[Diamond_Jim 12,330]

The problem with final predictions other than the up and down form of the team itself is the inconsistent form of the rest of the competition.

If asked at the start of the year who would slip out of the 8 from last year most of us had North and probably Hawthorn.

Who would have picked the Swans as a struggler.

As others have identified there are only two certainties for the 8 at present ... namely Crows and GWS. I still think West Coast is a probability given the home ground advantage. To this one can add the Bulldogs as a probability but not a certainty.

As to the remaining four places they are just guesswork. The two leaders are Geelong and Port leaving two spots being filled by any combination of Swans, Essendon, Richmond us and St Kilda. Then throw in North who seem to have more lives than the proverbial cat.As to the order of the last six teams and who will and won't get road games that is impossible to predict.

To me the end of round 15 is the key .... if we can win 3 out of the next 4 our chances for the 8 will be very strong. Win two and we are still breathing. Win one and that is probably the end of the finals dream

Personally while making the 8 is good I will be disappointed if after making the 8 we do no make it to the third round of finals. This year is more open than ever. While bulldogs were an upset last year this year could go to any team in the 8.

Edited May 30, 2017 by Diamond_Jim

[beelzebub 23,168]

For me the real analogy going fwd:

9 coins flip

Repeat.

The permutations are quite numerous.

We , in my estimation need at least 7 wins to remain in the race.

That might just be possible. One slip .. all over red rover.

A brave person puts money on us to play September. Good luck. It won't be me.

I feel a lot better about 18 than i do 17.

[puntkick 325]

12 hours ago, beelzebub said:

For me the real analogy going fwd:

9 coins flip

Repeat.

The permutations are quite numerous.

We , in my estimation need at least 7 wins to remain in the race.

That might just be possible. One slip .. all over red rover.

A brave person puts money on us to play September. Good luck. It won't be me.

I feel a lot better about 18 than i do 17.

So you're saying you feel better about Melksham than Frost ?

[beelzebub 23,168]

7 hours ago, puntkick said:

So you're saying you feel better about Melksham than Frost ?

How am i saying that ?

[puntkick 325]

On ‎31‎/‎05‎/‎2017 at 8:57 AM, beelzebub said:

How am i saying that ?

I feel a lot better about 18 than 17 !

[beelzebub 23,168]

9 hours ago, puntkick said:

I feel a lot better about 18 than 17 !

referring to years  ( and our chances at/in finals ) 

[Farmer 819]

On 29/05/2017 at 1:50 PM, mo64 said:

It's a cop out to put those bad losses (Freo, Hawthorn, Richmond, North) down to missing Gawn and Hogan. We lost similar games to Essendon and Carlton last year with Gawn and Hogan playing. And does that mean that every season we have an injury to a key player, we just write it off as bad luck?

We've got a talented list, but still haven't got a winning mentality. Until we start stringing wins together, I'll never be satisfied.

Bit rough not to accept that the injuries both before and during the Richmond match, didn't cost us that game. We dominated that game for long periods, the loss of Spencer was ultimately fatal 

[Pates 9,623]

35 minutes ago, Farmer said:

Bit rough not to accept that the injuries both before and during the Richmond match, didn't cost us that game. We dominated that game for long periods, the loss of Spencer was ultimately fatal 

The Richmond game I'm willing to give a pass on because of the loss of Spencer and Smith. We were out on our feet and the tiger smelled blood, we'd held Martin the whole game but smashed us that final quarter. 

The Hawthorn and Freo games are the two that we shouldn't have given up. The Geelong game we kicked ourselves out of it and again ran out of steam with Gawn off.